Young Volcanoes
by theScribblerWP
Summary: "We are wild, we are like young volcanoes" - Fall Out Boy . . . Brody and Jack Brewer, two hundred and twenty two year old vampire brothers, fall in love with the same girl: Kim Crawford, eighteen year old mortal. Brody's thinks he's the first to win Kim's heart, however, there may be a 'small' secret laying in the past. Let's just say, Brody wasn't the first...
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! This is my brand new story "Young Volcanoes." It's named after the song by Fall Out Boy. If you've never heard it, I highly recommend it! I love the message it has, and it really relates to this story!

Anyways, I hope you guys like this! I think I have really improved since my first story, which I sadly never got around to finishing. I just kind of lost all my inspiration for it, and I know that's kind of a lame excuse, but if you're a writer, I'm sure you understand what I mean. Also, I have been writing a lot, and I'm extremely inspired to write this story right now.

I apologize ahead of time if I run into some writer's block and can't update. And school is really intense this year, so I will try my best to update as much as possible.

There will not be a regular schedule for this story because there's no regular schedule for my life. So, if I haven't bored you guys too much, you can now start reading the first chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It, the parts of the story that relate to the Vampire Diaries, or any other brand that shows up in my work. I only own the plot and my OC Rika.

...

Chapter 1: Last Night

Jerry Crawford stirred in his sleep, a muffled groan escaping his lips and his head stuffed into the pillow. His arms and legs ached from the awkward position he had somehow ended up in overnight. Jerry's blackened, brown eyes fluttered open as he glanced to his left. He sighed.

The bed was empty.

All she had left was a small scrap of paper with a few messily scribbled words. Jerry snatched the note and attempted to adjust his eyes to the light filtering in through the window. After scanning the note, he tossed it aside and ran his hands through his black, disheveled hair.

He knew that he wasn't supposed to sleep with Rika Blake. She was his sister's best friend, and there was some sort of unsaid agreement between them to never date each other's friends. Not to mention the fact that she was only 17 while he was 23.

But it just kind of happened.

And the worst part was, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He couldn't shake the thought of her dark, coffee brown waves and the freckles that littered on and around her adorable, little nose. He couldn't erase her soft, hazel eyes from his mind. He couldn't keep himself from smiling from the sound of her laughter engraved into his memory. He just couldn't, especially not after last night.

His body still tingled.

Jerry sat up and pushed the thoughts out of his mind. There was no way he could like Rika. If Kim ever found about what happened last night, he knew she would literally hunt him down and beat him senseless. So he came to a decision. Last night never happened.

Because it shouldn't have, and it couldn't.

Besides, Jerry didn't even know if Rika felt the same or what she was feeling at all. The note didn't give him much of an explanation, only a lame excuse that any girl would use to get out of something she regretted. So obviously - at least it was obvious to Jerry's early morning brain - she didn't feel the same as he did.

It's not like it mattered though. He was too old for her, and no matter how right it felt to be with her, it was wrong.

And now that he thought about it, guilt had started creeping into his mind. Rika was both Kim's best friend and too young for him, yet the idiotic, hormonal side of him had seemed to just throw those problems out the window, and just do what he wanted.

Of course.

Jerry screwed up again.

...

Kim awoke to a throbbing pain pulsing through her head, her eyes opening into an unfamiliar room. Confused, she observed her surroundings and held her pounding head in her hand.

She was currently resting on a old, beaten down couch with some tattered pillows. Warmth radiated throughout the room from a fireplace nestled on the back wall. Old paintings and pieces of artwork hung on the walls, and other antique furniture scattered across the wooden floor.

The floorboards creaked behind her, snapping her out of her daze. She twisted her body and faced a boy standing at the entrance to the room. His light brown hair was fixed to have a messy look. He wore a pair of worn jeans and a plaid button down flannel rolled to his elbows with a thin, grey sweater underneath. His expression was unreadable, and Kim looked at him puzzled.

"Hey, are you feeling better?" The boy spoke, a softness and almost sorry tone in his voice.

"Um," Kim shifted into a sitting position on the couch. "Yeah, I'm fine, but where am I? And who are you?"

The boy raised his eyebrows. "You uh," He looked away for a moment. "You don't remember do you?"

"Remember what? What the hell is going on?"

The boy sighed and took a seat in a chair beside her. "My name is Brody," He began.

Kim looked at him, waiting for him to continue, and her head tilted to the side.

"What do you remember last?"

Kim thought hard about his question. Everything seemed to have morphed into a blur in her memory. And then at one point, it was as if she had missed a whole chunk of the night.

"I was on my way to my best friend's house." She looked up from the floor and over at Brody. "I don't remember anything after that. One minute I was walking down the street and the next, I woke up here."

"Of course. Jack..." Brody muttered under his breath, and his eyes widened at the realization.

"What's going on? Why don't I remember?"

Brody was opening his mouth to reply when he heard some footsteps approaching the front door. He stood up from his seat.

"Hey um, I have some things I have to take care of." Brody ran a hand through his hair. "I can talk to you at school though, okay?"

"At school?" Kim raised an eyebrow. "You go to my school?"

"Yeah." He replied with a half-smile, holding his hand out to help her to her feet.

"How do you know?"

"I've seen you a few times."

Kim took his hand and pulled herself to her feet. A sharp pain shot through her head, causing her to stumble a little and shut her eyes.

Brody gripped her arm and tried to steady her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little light headed."

Brody looked at her and nodded, feeling regret take over his body. What happened to her wasn't his fault, but he felt responsible for his brother. He always has, and he's always having to cover up for him.

"I'll walk you out." Brody started for the back door. Kim followed him and stopped before leaving.

"Thanks." Kim said quietly.

Brody shrugged with a smile. "It's no problem. I'll explain everything tomorrow."

Kim pursed her lips and exited through the back door. Brody immediately shut the door after she had left and heard the front door open. His smile faded as he wandered back into the living room and scanned the air, straining his ears for any noises. A few swooshes of air flew throughout the house, and then a silence fell over the room. Brody turned around.

His nineteen year old twin brother was laying on the couch, a smirk playing on his lips and a drip of fresh blood still running down his chin. He held a glass of alcohol in his hand and took a sip of it before sitting it back down on the coffee table and wiping the blood off his face with one of his fingers.

"What are you doing, Jack?" Brody crossed his arms.

"Can't a guy enjoy some whiskey after a kill?"

"Dude," Brody shook his head. "What is wrong with you?"

Jack stood up from the couch. "We're vampires, Brody. You'd think that in two hundred and twenty two years you'd have learned to have some fun."

"Yeah well, you'd also think that after two hundred and twenty two years you'd learn some self-control."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on, Brody." He waved his finger with the blood in Brody's face. "It's been way too long for you, man."

Brody's breath hitched in his throat, his eyes locking on the drop of blood only a few inches from his mouth. He tore his gaze away and walked away before he let the sensation overwhelm him. He rested his hands on a chair, trying to rid himself of the cravings.

"Look at yourself, man." Jack chuckled.

Brody gritted his teeth and glared at his brother. "Why are you here, Jack? And what did you do to Kim?"

Jack smiled. "Why do you care?"

Brody sighed irritably. "You know why, Jack. Just tell me what you did."

"It's doesn't matter what I did because I compelled her to forget." Jack replied.

"You don't get it, do you?"

Jack's smile only grew as he picked up his glass, finished the contents and then set it back down.

"Actually, I think it's you who doesn't get it." Jack took a step towards Brody. "When was the last time you compelled someone?"

Brody didn't reply so Jack took another step towards him.

"When was the last time you fed until energy had spread throughout your entire body and coursed through every single vain, making you feel _alive_?" Jack nearly whispered, licking the blood off his finger.

"Jack, you know what blood does to me." Brody snapped. "And compelling is wrong. You mess with people's minds for your own amusement and then just erase it from their memory, leaving them confused about what they had done for the past few hours, days or however long they were under your influence. It's not right, and you know it."

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it, isn't it." Jack began walking around the room while keeping his eyes on Brody. "I know that it's wrong, brother. Why do you think I do it?"

Brody looked away before returning his eyes to Jack and reluctantly listening to the bull shit he had to say.

"At least I accept who I am. We died over two centuries ago, Brody, and I don't think you have fed since the 1800's."

"And do you remember what I was like back then?" Brody had tried to erase the memories, but they were always there. They were always haunting him.

Jack smiled. "Of course I do. You would just do whatever the hell you wanted." His smile faded, and his expression almost seemed to be serious. "I want my brother back, Brody."

"I wasn't myself back then." Brody tried to reason with Jack. "I was what the blood made me be." He had done some terrible things back when they had first become vampires, especially during the late 1890's. Then in 1901, he met a mystic named Rika who had helped him find his humanity again. Without her, he would still be a ruthless, blood-thirsty demon roaming the land and terrorizing people.

"That is who you are, dumb ass. You're a fucking vampire." Jack muttered.

Brody narrowed his eyes at him. "Just because we're vampires, it doesn't mean we have to be monsters and abuse our powers."

"You don't use your powers at all!" Jack exclaimed.

"Just let it go, Jack. I'm never going to be that person again." Brody asserted his opinion, letting Jack know that his mind was made up.

Jack smirked. "Never say never, little bro."

"You do realize that we're twins, right?" Brody raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but I was first by four minutes." Jack replied smugly.

Brody rolled his eyes again and breathed out. "Jack," He started after a moment. "Even if I wanted to feed, I can't. I have to watch over Kim, and I can't do that if I'm crazed on blood. Rika doesn't want her finding about all of this, and now, thanks to you, I have to come up with a cover story to explain to Kim what happened to her last night."

"Well, I'm sorry for having a little fun."

Brody looked at his brother, wondering how he could be related to such a jackass. "Not that I want you messing with other girls, but you know you're not supposed to mess with Kim, man. Why her? Come on, just grow up. If Rika ever found out-"

"Fuck Rika." Jack scoffed. "I'm tired of you feeling like you have to do everything she says. It's almost like she's fooled you into believing that you owe her."

"I do owe her. She saved my life."

Jack chuckled. "Rika didn't save your life, Brody. She took it away from you."

Brody shook his head and smiled sarcastically.

"She took if from you, Brody." Jack looked into Brody's eyes. "She makes you drink that potion shit as a replacement for blood. She's been turning you into someone you're not." Jack averted his eyes away from Brody's and lowered his voice. "She made you turn your back on me."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Jack locked his eyes with Brody's again. "You don't care about me anymore."

Brody's expression softened.

"You only care about Rika and Kim, who let me remind you, will never know you. You said it yourself. Kim can never know about what we are and how she's connected to our world. She will never understand you like I do."

Brody sighed. "If you understood me at all, Jack, then you'd know why I can never drink a single drop of blood again. You would understand why I'm helping Kim."

Jack looked at the ground.

"You don't understand me, Jack. And if you don't by now," Brody waited for Jack to look up at him. "Then you never will."

Jack almost appeared hurt before his eyes darkened. "Fine, then I guess you'll never see Kim again."

Brody's eyes widened.

"Unless you can save her, which," Jack smirked to mask his hurt. "I'm not so sure you can. That is, unless you use your powers."

"Jack, don't-"

Before Brody could go on, Jack had fled the house.

"Fuck..." Brody muttered, racing after his brother and utilizing his vampire speed for the first time since 1901.

...

Even though Rika felt guilty about sleeping with Kim's brother, she couldn't help but smile at the very thought of him, and how his touch felt against her skin. Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, she scolded herself. She could never be with him. In a few years, she and Brody would have to move on to the next town. Otherwise, people would start to wonder how they never seemed to age.

Rika wasn't a vampire like Brody. She was a supernatural being known as a mystic. Mystics possessed abilities far from those of any other creature. Each mystic was able to draw energy from the earth and create their own solutions to the evils of the world. They were the protectors of the earth and the supernatural world.

And not just anybody could be a born a mystic. Mystical abilities were given to those who had a natural sense of awareness and intrigue in nature's beauties and many mysteries. Rika was one of only a few chosen to care for the earth and prevent evil from ensuing. In her many years of life - three thousand to be exact - she had done exceptionally well.

Sleeping with Jerry was her first mistake in years. How could she be so stupid?

Rika collapsed backwards on her bed, and waited for her best friend to respond to any of her texts or calls. She feared that Kim had found out about her and Jerry. There was no other reason she could think of for Kim to ignore her.

Besides, they were supposed to have a sleepover the night before, and Rika wasn't at her house last night. Kim must have come by and noticed her absence, which meant that Kim would have called. Yet, she hadn't.

And that made Rika think that something had happened to her. Praying that she was just being a little paranoid, she snatched her phone and dialed Brody's number. When he didn't answer after a few rings, she felt her heart rate escalate a little.

"Come on, Brody." She mumbled once her phone had stopped ringing and went into his voice mail.

Groaning, she frantically typed out a quick text to Brody, asking him where the hell he was and why he didn't answer her call. She pulled herself up off the bed and wandered outside of her house. Once she had stepped out into the grass, she took a seat and closed her eyes. As she breathed in deeply and harnessed the earth's energy, images flashed through her mind. And what she saw scared the hell out of her.

Rika wasn't sure where Kim was, but her mind had grasped onto an image of Brody's brother on some sort of a rampage. And when Jack was mad, nothing good ever came of it.

Rika opened her eyes, and without thinking twice about it, she began walking to Jerry and Kim's house. She'd have to face Jerry at some point. Obviously, this was a little earlier than she had anticipated, and she wished she could have avoided him for the entire day. However, she had to know if Kim was there. Kim's safety was a hell of a lot more important than having to face Jerry.

Once she had arrived at the Crawford's doorstep, the disturbing images of Jack still wouldn't leave her mind. It was as if they had been permanently engraved into her brain.

She tentatively knocked on the door and waited. After a moment, the door opened, revealing Jerry. His baggy, grey sweats, loose, white T-shirt, and messy, black hair made it evident that he had just woken up, which meant that he had recently read her note.

Jerry opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly closed it when he realized he couldn't find any words. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes never leaving Rika's. He almost smiled.

"Is Kim here?"

Jerry's shoulders slumped at those three words. Even though he had convinced himself that they couldn't be together, he had still hoped despite all the reasons against it that Rika would have told him how she felt. So, if it wasn't obvious enough before, it definitely was now. It didn't mean anything to her.

"Um, no." Jerry nearly whispered, finding it difficult to speak. Her beauty and everything that happened between them last night still played over in his mind. She was still mesmerizing.

"Shit..." Rika muttered, confusing Jerry. Her voice had brought him out of his trance, and he just now noticed her troubled expression.

"Rika," Jerry began, searching her face in a hopeless attempt to figure out what was going on. "What's wrong?"

"I, um," She stuttered and looked away. "Nothing." She forced a smile. "If you see Kim, can you tell her to call me?"

Jerry rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, sure."

"Thanks." Rika said, almost too quietly for him to hear. She felt bad about just walking away, but she had to find Kim. So, she nodded and pursed her lips before turning away and heading down the sidewalk, her phone up to ear.

Jerry's eyes followed Rika's retreating form. He sighed and leaned against the door. None of the problems he had thought of before seemed to matter anymore. She was Kim's best friend. So what. And for the age thing, it's not like they'd get caught. They'd just have to be secretive.

With all of the previous issues resolved in his mind, he fought the urge to run after her and kiss her. There was still one problem though, and it was kind of a big one.

He still didn't know for sure how she felt. However, he was determined to find that out as soon as possible. All he knew was that he wanted her, and that nothing was going to keep him from getting her.

Well, unless she laughed in his face.

He could only hope that wouldn't happen.

...

Kim wandered down along the street. She didn't feel like going home just yet. Her mind was lost, and it struggled to recover any memory of the night before. It just didn't make sense to her. How could she be on her way to Rika's and then just black out? It wasn't like she was drunk or something.

She sighed and pushed the thoughts out of her head. Brody would explain it to her tomorrow at school, and then everything would make sense. There was no point in wracking her brain for information that wasn't there.

"Excuse me, miss?"

Kim twisted around and faced a boy a year or two older than her. A seemingly innocent smile displayed on his face, and the two little moles on his cheeks made him appear sweet and adorable.

"Um, hi. Is there something you need?" Kim wondered, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

"I think I recognize you from somewhere." The boy replied and knitted his eyebrows. "Have we met before?"

"I don't think so." Kim was really confused. As far as she knew, she had never seen this boy before.

"My name's Jack." The boy took a step towards her and held his out for her to shake. "Jack Brewer."

...

Thank you for reading, and please review! I love hearing what you guys have to say. And if you don't like it, be honest, but if you could, I'd really appreciate if you can give me some advice on how I could improve!

Again, thank you for reading! I'm not sure when I will be updating again. It kind of depends if anyone seems to be interested. If no one is, I will probably quit on this story because reviews keep me inspired. So, if you want the next chapter, please review!

theScribblerWP


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Thank you so much for all of your reviews! I was not expecting that many! There's not much more to say other than my responses to my reviewers:

KickForever99, ELOVATE, the guest - Cloudrazor, BearKick15, EVanvicky, and one of my unknown guests:

Thank you so much!

HeartOfAFighter and my other unknown guest:

Thank you, and yes, it is very similar to the Vampire Dairies because that's where I got my inspiration from. I'm literally obsessed with that show, and I love the Kickin' It characters, so this story was born.

Again, thanks for the reviews and thank you anyone who read. You guys have definitely inspired me to right this chapter as well as continue this story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It, the parts of this story that relate to the Vampire Diaries, or any other brand that shows up in my work. I only own the plot and my OC Rika.

...

Chapter 2: Secrecy Lies Beneath Desperation

Kim hesitantly took Jack's hand and shook it. She didn't really know what to think or say. This boy, whom she had never seen before, claimed to have known her from somewhere.

"I'm Kim." She introduced herself, her voice quiet.

Jack smirked. "I know."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "Um, I'm sorry, but I have somewhere I have to be." She turned away from him, feeling really creeped out.

Before she could get far, he appeared in front of her. Kim screamed and took a step backwards. She put a hand over her heart. "How did you do that?"

Jack tilted his head to the side with an amused expression. "What?"

"That..." She breathed out, her eyes wide. "How did you move so fast?"

Jack didn't answer her. All he could hear was the sound of her heart pounding against her chest. All he could hear was the blood flowing through her veins. All other sounds had drowned out. There was nothing else, only blood.

"Get the fuck away from her." A deep voice growled from behind Jack. Kim glanced up, and Jack twisted around, both of them now looking at Brody.

Jack smiled at the reaction he was getting out of his brother. Jack being this close to Kim was driving Brody _crazy_. Then, in one swift movement, Jack had gotten behind Kim, his arms restraining her in a headlock. "Hello to you to, brother."

Brody took a step forward. "Let her go, Jack."

"Why would I do that?" Jack taunted, tightening his hold around Kim. She squirmed in Jack's arms, her eyes wide with fear and her breathing frantic.

"Because you don't have to." Brody replied, a desperate look in his eyes. "Please."

"Fine..." Jack sighed, pretending to be disappointed when he was actually really enjoying this. "Guess we'll have to do this the hard way."

Still holding Kim with one of his arms, Jack brought his other to his mouth and bit down, creating to small holes in his wrist. He forcefully pressed it against Kim's lips. She coughed and helplessly thrashed around in order to get her mouth away from his arm. However, Jack was too strong, and a stream of blood was seeping out from his wrist into her mouth. Finally, she gave in and reluctantly swallowed the sticky, metallic liquid.

Brody glared at Jack and took another step forward. Jack removed his hand from Kim's mouth, and Kim choked out the blood that remained in her mouth.

"Jack," Brody warned.

"Just use your powers, brother." Jack nearly whispered. "Just use your powers to get her away from me, and she will be safe."

"Jack, don't make me do this." Brody pleaded, his eyes glassy with hatred for his brother.

Jack made a sudden movement, his hands now on Kim's neck. Brody gulped.

Jack's eyes darkened, and his voice lowered. "I'll do it."

"Please don't." Kim barely managed to get out those few words, her body trembling.

For a moment, Jack seemed to loosen his grip on her. Before anyone would notice, he tightened his hands around her neck again. His hands twitched, almost twisting Kim's neck when his body was suddenly colliding with the sidewalk.

Jack grimaced and looked up. Kim was in Brody's arms; her head nestled into his chest. Her hands gripped the grey sweater under his flannel, and tears slipped down her cheeks. Brody narrowed his eyes at Jack, his arms wrapped around the blonde.

Jack found himself smiling; it worked.

"Well," Jack began, getting to his feet. "I think you know what you have to do, Brody."

Brody sighed and peered down at the girl in his arms. He knew that he had to do it, but everything in him was telling him no. His mind was screaming at him.

"What would Rika think of you, Brody?"

Brody returned his eyes to Jack as Jack continued.

"What's Rika going to think of you when she finds out that Kim knows? You're supposed to protect her from all of this," Jack scrunched his eyebrows together in feign concern. "Aren't you?"

Brody clenched his jaw and placed his hands on Kim's shoulders, slightly pushing her away, so he could see her eyes.

_Her eyes._

Those eyes would be the death of him. Her innocent, brown eyes were red and puffy, frightened and confused. She was lost.

Brody took a deep breath and transfixed his light hazel eyes deep into Kim's. "You're not going to remember any of this." Brody started so quietly that Kim could barely hear him. His voice was shaky, and it broke with every word. "Last night, you had a stomach ache, so you stayed at home. Then, you woke up this morning and went for a walk to get some fresh air." He stopped for a moment, and his mouth struggled to move. "You were on your way home just now."

The moment the last word left Brody's mouth, he and Jack had fled to another street, more than far enough away from Kim's view.

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Jack smiled smugly.

Brody slowly lifted his head up from the ground. A tear slipped down his cheek. "I will never," His voice lowered, his eyes transformed into an intense black. "I will never forgive you for this."

Jack's smile dissipated.

Brody shook his head. "_Ever_."

...

Kim arrived at the doorstep to her house and stepped inside. From the kitchen, Jerry glanced over at her. He was still in his sweats and was currently munching on a piece of toast for breakfast.

"Hey." Jerry's voice was muffled from the bread stuffed in his mouth.

Kim smiled. "Hey."

"Rika wants you to call her." Jerry informed her. "She came by looking for you this morning."

Kim knitted her eyebrows together. "I must have just missed her then."

"Not really." Jerry replied, grabbing the last slice of toast and placing the plate in the sink. "She was here more than thirty minutes ago."

"I meant before I left."

Jerry took another bite out of his toast and raised an eyebrow. "Before you left where?"

Kim tilted her head to the side. "Here." She responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wait," Jerry began. "You were here earlier?"

"Yeah, why?" Kim wondered curiously. She didn't understand why it was hard for him to believe that she was here this morning.

Jerry put the last piece of his toast in his mouth. After a moment, he asked, "How long have you been here?" He was starting to worry. Kim might have seen Rika leave if she was there too early.

"Jerry, I've been here since last night. I only left the house to get some fresh air just now."

Jerry's eyes widened, and he choked on his toast. His hands slammed against the counter as a piece of bread flew out of his mouth. Suddenly, his face was very red, _way_ too red.

"Are you okay?" Kim asked concerned, a nervous expression on her face and her hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Yeah," Jerry wheezed, his eyes looking anywhere but at Kim's. "Just fine."

...

"Are you sure you haven't seen her?" Rika asked into the phone.

Brody sighed on the other end of the line. He hated lying to Rika, but he couldn't tell her about what happened. If Rika knew the truth, it would be the last straw for her. She would be done going through shit that Jack always caused no matter the circumstances, and would no doubt devise a plot to kill him. Even though Brody wouldn't forgive Jack, he was still his brother. That being said, he would never let anything happen to him, and he didn't want to be forced to hurt Rika in the process of protecting Jack.

"Yeah," Brody replied. "I'm sure."

"Shit," Rika muttered. "Where the hell is she then?"

Before Brody had the chance to respond, a ding emitted from Rika's phone.

"Brody, it's Kim!" Rika exclaimed. "She just texted me."

Brody smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't prepared to keep on lying. "Good."

"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye, Riks."

"Bye."

Rika brought her phone down from her ear and read Kim's text. "Hey, Jerry said you needed to talk to me. What's up?"

Rika typed a quick reply, a smile never leaving her face. "Are you home?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'm coming over. Be there in a few."

Rika finished typing and placed her phone in her pocket, her legs already jogging to the Crawford's house.

_Kim was safe._

Once Rika arrived, she knocked on the door. The door opened after a moment, revealing Jerry. They locked eyes and studied each other's faces in a tense silence. Jerry had been on his way to work, and had obviously not expected to run into Rika _again_. Actually, he really needed to hurry.

Five years ago, Jerry graduated from Seaford High and began attending art school in New York City to become a dancer. By the time he finished his senior year, he had been offered a job at one of the most prestigious dance companies in the world. Ecstatic about the news, Jerry hopped on the first flight to California. He was eager to surprise his adoptive parents and adoptive sister, Kim, with a visit and also the news for his future. However, the day he returned turned out to be the worst day of his life.

one year earlier...

Jerry knocked on the door to his home, a smile still on his face. He could not wait any longer. It had been months since he had seen his family. When no one answered after a few moments, Jerry knocked again, but there was no answer. Confused, he opened the door and let himself inside.

"Mom!" Jerry called through the house. "Dad! Kim! Is anyone here-?"

Suddenly, Jerry stopped talking. He stopped moving. He nearly stopped breathing.

There, on the kitchen floor, Kim was knelt over their mother. All Jerry remembered was the massive amount of blood. It was everywhere, splattered across the walls, covering the floor, oozing from the ravaged flesh of his mother. She wasn't even recognizable anymore.

Jerry fell to his knees, his mouth open and eyes watery. He reached out a hand and placed it on his sister's shoulder. Kim tensed at his touch, but quickly relaxed and twisted around. Jerry didn't hesitant to pull her into his arms. Kim's body trembled with violent sobs which were slightly muffled by Jerry's shirt. He tightened his hold on her, his eyes still on their mother's body.

After that day, Jerry had abandoned all of his plans in New York to take care of Kim. She had argued with him, not wanting him to throw away his dreams for her. However, leaving was not an option in Jerry's mind. He could never leave after such a tragedy.

And to make things worse, that same day, their father had disappeared. They haven't seen him since.

Luckily, Jerry had managed to snag a job at the Seaford Dance Academy, which is where he was headed now. He couldn't be late because today was his first day in a new position. Last week, he had been promoted, and he didn't want to let his boss down. However, the attractive brunette, whom he had slept with the night before, was kind of making it hard to move. It was as if his feet had been cemented to the floor.

Jerry broke the silence with a smile. "Wow, two times in one morning."

Rika returned the smile and laughed lightly, looking at her feet to hide her face. Jerry stepped backwards and let her inside.

"Kim's in the shower." Jerry explained, shutting the door. "I think she'll be done in a few minutes."

Rika nodded, still not saying a word. She just didn't know what to say. How was this not awkward for him? He didn't seem to be nervous at all, while Rika felt her face heating up with each passing second. Every time she looked at him, her mind traveled back to last night. She could almost feel the tingles through her memory.

"Rika, about last night..." Jerry trailed off, his smile fading and a serious expression falling across his face.

"Kim can never know." Rika finally spoke.

Jerry opened his mouth, but quickly closed it and pursed his lips. "Yeah," He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "About that,"

Rika knitted her eyebrows together. "What?"

"Rika," Jerry began, looking right into her eyes. "Kim was here last night."

Rika's eyes widened. "What do you mean she was _here_?"

Just then, Kim appeared from behind a corner, her wavy, blonde hair damp and messily braided. When she spotted Rika in the kitchen, a smile crossed her face. "Hey, Riks."

Rika tore her eyes away from Jerry and tried her best to smile back. "Hey." Her voice was quiet.

"Do you just want to hang in my room?" Kim wondered.

"Um," Rika returned her eyes to Jerry one last time. He looked at her longingly. "Sure." She replied, walking past Jerry and following her best friend down the hallway.

Rika's head was spinning. If Kim was there last night, she must have heard them...And Rika feared what that would mean for their friendship. Although, Kim hadn't brought it up, which kind of confused her even more. She internally rolled her eyes at herself for over analyzing the situation and entered Kim's room.

Kim took a seat on her bed and leaned against the backboard, her legs crossed, while Rika sat on the edge of the bed.

"So," Rika started, assuming that Kim wasn't aware of her staying the night in Jerry's room. "Why didn't you come over last night?"

Kim thought about the question for a moment and responded with Brody's exact words. "Last night, I had a stomach ache, so I stayed home."

Rika noted the nearly monotonous sound to Kim's voice, and wondered why her best friend's voice sounded foreign to her. It was as if the line had been rehearsed for a scene in a movie.

Rika stared at the tips of her cocoa brown combat boots. "What did you do all night?"

Kim wrinkled her forehead in thought. Her brain wasn't able to give her a clear answer, and she wasn't sure why. "I don't know really. I mean," Kim didn't understand why the night seemed like a blur. "I guess I just stayed in bed. I don't remember it much, so I was probably a little out of it." Kim attempted to rationalize. Her brain needed some sort of explanation to grasp onto, whether it was true or not.

"Okay," Rika said slowly. Everything was beginning to come together a little. If Kim didn't remember much, maybe she hadn't been able to process the sounds coming from her brother's room because there was no doubt in Rika's mind that she had made some..._special_ noises. Although, what kind of sickness would cause Kim to lose her memory to that extent?

Suddenly, Kim grimaced in pain and clutched her stomach. Rika looked over at her concerned. "Kim?"

Kim didn't respond. She felt as though her entire body was aching down to the last nerve. "Ah," She gasped, collapsing on the bed and her breathing quickening. Her eyes fluttered shut in a desperate attempt to make the pain subside.

"Kim, what's wrong?" Rika raised her voice and knelt beside her.

Kim trembled and twitched as the pain spread like poison throughout her body. "It feels-it feels like-like," Her mouth abruptly closed shut, and she winced.

"Kim,"

"It's like there's something coursing through my veins...like-like a searing burn." Kim's voice faded again.

And just like that, everything was clear to Rika.

"That little fucker." Rika muttered, peering out the window in Kim's room.

A groan brought her attention back to her best friend. "Kim," She shifted closer and put Kim's head in her lap. "Just hold on, okay." She sighed, playing with Kim's hair in a hopeless effort to ease her suffering. "It will be over soon."

...

Rika practically broke through the door to the house and stormed inside. All she felt was rage, _deadly_ rage

"Brody fucking Brewer!" She screeched. "Get your little, fucking, lying ass out here right now!"

...

Just to let you guys know, I'm in the middle of the outlining phase for the story, and I literally have five gazillion thoughts and ideas running through my brain, so...updates may be a little slow until I can figure out exactly how I want to organize everything, like where which parts go and which ones that I will include. I have a journal where I write down every thought that comes to mind, and I need some time to figure out where I even begin. Anyways, thanks for reading, and please review!

theScribblerWP


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, guys! This chapter is really intense, but it definitely expresses the way I love to write! It may be a little confusing, but don't worry. You will put the pieces together as the story progresses.

Anyways, thanks to all of my reviewers!

BearKick15, EVanvicky:

Thank you guys so much!

HeartOfAFighter:

I'm really excited that you like Jerry and Rika together! I love writing the scenes for them!

my guest reviewer - 50shadesofpurple:

I know, Brody and Kim are really cute haha, but just wait. In this chapter, a lot of things from the past will be revealed.

my unknown guest reviewer:

Oh my god! Thank you so much, and I love Damon too! Also, Rika is not a vampire. She is a mystic, which is a supernatural being that I created. They are kind of like my version of a witch.

...

Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It, the parts of the story that relate to the Vampire Diaries, or any other brand that shows up in my work. I only own the plot and my OCs Rika and Ash.

...

Chapter 3: This Feeling

Brody, still shaken up from using compulsion, sat on his bed and ran his hands through his hair. He shut his eyes, and tried to make it all go away. It was this feeling that hadn't haunted him for centuries, but now it was back. And this time there was no escaping it. Or so it seemed.

Brody collapsed backwards onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. Why couldn't Jack just leave him alone? He had been doing so well. Before today, he felt good about himself. He used to feel proud in that he had overcome the urges and overwhelming powers that came with being a vampire. Now, all of that pride had vanished. The moment he looked into Kim's eyes it was as if he was his old self again. He was beginning to freak out a little. What if he could no longer control himself?

Frustrated with himself for losing his self-confidence and possibly his mind, he pushed those thoughts away. For the next few moments, he had somehow convinced himself that he was okay and that he hadn't compelled Kim. Yet, all of the thoughts clouding his mind still lingered, waiting around to strike and send his brain into another whirlwind of confusion and emotion.

Just when Brody's mind was beginning to settle, a pounding started to pulse through his head. He felt as though his ears were swollen and on fire, and he couldn't hear anything but the rhythmic pounding. His breath quickened as he sat up in bed, his eyes frantically darting around the room. What the hell was happening to him?

A slam of the front door echoed throughout the house, instantly ceasing the pounding in his head. Brody snapped back into reality and looked out his bedroom door. The pounding had been the beating of his heart. He had forgotten the power within his ears. From inside his room, he even recognized the livid tone in the voice of the girl who had just entered his house.

"Brody fucking Brewer!" Rika screeched. "Get your little, fucking, lying ass out here right now!"

Brody sighed. "Shit," He muttered as he made his way down the hallway to the living room. Rika _knew_.

Once he reached the room, he hesitantly turned the corner and revealed himself to his angered best friend. "Rika-"

Having not a single bit of patience, Rika cut him off right away. "Why the fuck did you lie to me?"

"Rika,"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Rika,"

"What the _fucking_ fuck!"

"Rika!" Brody raised his voice. Rika instantly stopped cussing and looked at him.

"I'm sorry, Rika. I..." Brody trailed off and felt like his mind was spinning. He couldn't even process anything at the moment. "I don't need this right now." He mumbled under his breath and turned away from her.

"Excuse me?" Rika crossed her arms.

Brody ran a hand through his hair and shut his eyes for a moment before turning back around to face her. He opened his mouth to say something, and she stared at him expectantly.

"Rika, I..." His voice faded again as he slumped down in a chair and put his face in his hands. "It won't stop." He mumbled, letting out a shaky breath.

Rika's expression softened and she kneeled in front him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What won't stop?" She asked softly.

"It just won't stop..." Brody repeated, not even comprehending her words.

"Brody," Rika began, pulling his hands away from his face and holding them in hers. "What won't stop?"

He slowly lifted his head up, his eyes glassy. "I used compulsion, Rika." A tear slipped down his cheek. "I had to. If I didn't, Kim would have remembered."

A puzzled expression fell across Rika's face. "Remembered what?"

Brody hesitated before replying, "Jack..."

Rika's eyes widened. He couldn't mean what she was thinking he meant. There was no way Kim remembered _that_. Besides, Rika was sure Brody didn't even know about that. "What about him?"

"Last night, Jack was messing around with Kim." Rika sighed. Kim hadn't remembered what Rika thought she had. "He compelled her to forget it all though, which left her confused and all alone." Rika ignored the thoughts in her mind and listened to Brody. "I found her wandering aimlessly down the streets and took her back here. When she woke up, I got her to leave before Jack came back. Then, Jack and I got into a fight, and it wasn't one of our dumb fights that we always get into. It was intense, and I said some things. And you know how he is. When he's hurt, he lashes out, so he went after Kim. There was no way I could keep up with him unless I used my speed." Rika nodded; taking note that this must have been the first time he used his powers against his will. "When I found him, he forced Kim to drink his blood and then threatened to turn her. I got her away from him before he killed her, but the damage was already done. She was so frightened and shaken up and...I had to compel her. Jack wouldn't do it himself. He made me do it. He made me compel her..."

"Brody," Rika felt her eyes water a little at the sight of her best friend's state. "I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I should've just told you." Brody looked away and pulled his hands out of her grasp.

Rika shook her head. "You only lied because you wanted to protect him."

Brody returned his eyes to Rika's. "He's my brother, Riks."

"I know." She breathed out in understanding.

The two were silent for a few seconds before Brody spoke up again. "Is she okay?"

"Oh my god, Kim will be fine." A voice groaned from the doorway. Rika and Brody averted their eyes to the owner of the voice. Jack was the last person either of them wanted to see right now, but there he was, leaning against the wall with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"How long have you been standing there?" Rika narrowed her eyes at him coldly.

"Long enough to know that I seem to be the cause of this little 'soap opera' moment." A smirk played on his lips. Rika rolled her eyes. "I have to say," Jack took a sip from his glass. "I'm quite honored."

"Fuck off, Jack." Rika snapped.

Jack chuckled. "This is my home, Rika."

Rika smiled sarcastically. "I don't give a fuck." Her feign smile disappeared as she stood up and stormed her way over to Jack. Nervous about what she might do, Brody followed her and stood a few feet away from the inevitable argument. "Get the fuck out. How can you even show your pathetic ass after what you did?"

Jack stepped forward so that his face was only an inch away from Rika's. "I like to think of it as observing the results of the power I have over people." He whispered.

Rika's blood boiled and she clenched her fists.

Jack stepped away from her and took another sip of his drink. "Maybe you should try some." He held the glass out in front of her. "You seem a little stressed."

In a moment of rage, Rika smacked the glass out of Jack's hand. The glass fell and instantly shattered from its collision with the hard wood floor.

"Do you understand _anything!_" The words had burst from Rika's mouth.

Jack only smiled.

"Have I not made myself clear? Kim is the key to everything, and you play around with her - and for what? Your own amusement? Your own fucking, selfish amusement, right? Holy shit, Jack. If your picture doesn't show up next to the definition of bastard, I don't know whose does."

Jack shrugged. "Kim's."

"You son of a bitch," Rika made a move to lunge at him, but was held back by Brody.

"Rika, don't." Brody nearly whispered, a stern tone in his voice.

Rika huffed, and Brody let go of her. Jack was still smiling, seeming to be even more amused by Rika's infuriated actions and words. Although, soon his smile faded and was replaced with a serious expression. "You know it's true, Rika." Jack said lowly. "And you also know that when Kim dies, so does the war. Why won't you just accept that?"

"Brody," Rika began, her eyes never leaving Jack's as she barely managed to keep her temper steady. "Can I have a second alone with your brother?"

Brody nodded even though she wasn't looking at him and exited the house. If he had a choice, he'd rather not leave the two of them in the house all alone, especially with them literally on the verge of strangling the other. However, Rika was extremely stubborn, and Brody had learned from experience to allow her anger to take its course as though it was a common illness passing through her body. Once Brody had been out of site and could not possibly hear them, Rika was the first to speak.

"How can you say that, Jack?" She glared at him. "How can you say that when you're in love with her?"

Jack avoided her eyes and sighed. "She doesn't remember it, Rika." He reluctantly looked at her before continuing. "She doesn't _know_ we were together. She doesn't even _know_ who I am."

"Because you _compelled_ her to forget." Jack shut his eyes, willing for that memory to go away. "You abused your powers because you were too scared to just let yourself trust someone. You were just too damn scared!"

Jack shook his head. "You don't know what you're talking about." He mumbled.

Rika's eyes popped out of their sockets. "Oh, really! I don't?" She challenged, and Jack avoided her gaze again. "You just keep on repeating your mistakes. It's like an endless downward spiral with you."

Jack ran a hand through his hair. "I did it for her, Rika."

Rika met his gaze. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I let her go because I," The words seemed to be caught in his throat. "Because I'm-Because I'm so in love with her that I just...I wasn't going to bring her into all of this." Rika's rage dissipated. "One way or another, someone is going to find her and they are going to kill her. There's nothing that we can do, and I'd rather let her live out the rest of her short life without a care in the world than live in fear until the day she would be sacrificed in that damn volcano." Jack clenched his jaw and helplessly tried to keep his glassy eyes from watering.

Rika held his gaze, feeling something she never thought she could feel when it came to Jack. She felt like she understood him. This was the first time he had ever been this serious. This was the first time he had ever put someone else before him. This was the first time that Rika realized how true his love for Kim was. He loved her so much, and yet, he looked her in the eye and told her to forget him. Rika always thought that it had been fairly easy for him to make her forget, but now she knew that was the farthest from the truth as possible.

"I already let go, Rika," An unexpected tear escaped Jack's eye, but he didn't turn away. He kept his gaze on her. It was kind of odd; he resented Rika with every ounce of his being, yet in this moment, she was the only person he wanted to open up to. "And you need to do the same." His voice shaky and more tears falling from his eyes, he fled the house. He couldn't take it. He couldn't take the memories. He couldn't take Rika forcing the truth out of him. He couldn't take the reality of it all. The girl he loved would never remember him. He would always remember every tingle that coursed through his veins from the slightest brush of his skin against hers. But she wouldn't. He would always remember every speck of color in her deep brown eyes. But she wouldn't remember his eyes. He would always know her. But she would never know him.

He would _always_.

But she _never_ would.

...

Darkness had conquered the sky by the time Rika had built up enough courage to have a conversation with Jerry. She needed to let him know that Kim actually didn't know what happened between them, and she knew that would lead to other questions. Especially after the intense argument between her and Jack earlier and literally watching him break into pieces, she had to prepare herself for another emotionally exhausting conversation.

Rika gazed up at the stars as she walked along the side of the road on her way to the dance studio. Her brain had finally managed to escape all of the problems within the supernatural world, but now her mind was lost in Jerry.

_Jerry_.

In all of her life, she never thought she would fall for an older guy who knew nothing about who she was. Most of the other mystics had turned away from any love they ever came across, and Rika knew she had to do the same. She had to devote her life to the earth and not let herself be pulled away from the connection she had with nature. That didn't mean it was going to be easy though.

Once she had arrived at the studio, she stepped inside and wandered down the hallways on her search for the Latino. Nobody seemed to be there. The hallways were dark and the rooms were empty. The only indication of anyone being there was the faint melody of a song traveling through the air. As Rika neared the source of the noise, the music grew louder and more distinct until she finally recognized the lyrics and strumming of the acoustic guitar.

Rika rounded a corner and peered inside the room, freezing the moment her eyes fell on Jerry. He was lost in the music and effortlessly molded his body into the feeling of the song. All he could feel was the guitar. All he could feel were the lyrics flowing through his body with every move. It was all he needed to feel, and it was moments like these where Jerry knew he had made the right decision to stay in Seaford. He didn't need the luxuries of some extravagant dance company in New York. He didn't need the crowd of people awing at his every move. All he needed was _this_, this feeling of escape that he couldn't explain.

When Jerry turned in the middle of another move, his eyes lifted and met Rika's. He immediately stopped dancing and stood up straight. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he lowered the volume of the music and made his way over to her. "Hey," His breath heavy, heart still pounding against his chest and beads of sweat running down his face, his eyes locked with hers.

Everything in Rika's mind seemed to have fled. All she could do was stare for a moment. Jerry wore a loose, grey muscle shirt and baggy, black sweats, and his skin glistened. All her mind could think about was the night before and how close she had been to him.

"Um, hey." Rika finally spoke up, so quietly Jerry could barely hear her. Her mind still in a daze and Jerry not saying a word, silence fell over the room. Aside from a soft melody in the background and the sound of Jerry's heavy breathing, the room was silent.

After a few moments, Rika snapped her mind back into reality. "Kim doesn't know."

Jerry looked at her, still afraid that his sister did know. "Are you sure? I mean, those walls are pretty thin and-"

"Jerry," Rika cut him off, feeling her cheeks heat up. "Kim was sick last night. She was too out of it to remember. She doesn't know...about us." She pursed her lips.

"Okay," Jerry said slowly, his eyes still on hers.

Silence consumed them once again, both of them lost in their thoughts. Jerry was irritated with himself for being so nervous, while Rika scolded herself for not being able to resist looking at him the way she was. And if one more second had passed with her looking at him like that, Jerry wouldn't have been able to hold himself back anymore.

"You're um," Rika broke the silence. "Really good."

Jerry smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks."

"I wish I could dance like that."

Without thinking much about it, Jerry held his hand out for her.

Rika seemed unsure. "Jerry,"

"Come on, Rika. Let me teach you."

Rika opened her mouth to protest, but closed it. What was the harm in dancing with him? She sighed and placed her hand in his. Jerry's smile grew, and Rika couldn't keep herself from smiling once Jerry pulled her up close to him to begin, his forehead against hers.

After a few minutes of dancing and Rika's contagious laughter, Jerry's last move had accidentally positioned himself between Rika's body and the wall.

They locked eyes.

"You're a natural." Jerry nearly whispered.

"Th-thanks..." Rika quietly stuttered.

Neither of them moved. All Rika could do was stay where she was. She knew she had to move - her mind was screaming at her - but she was incapable of responding. It was as if Jerry's blackened brown eyes had trapped her between his body and the wall.

Not even a second later, Rika felt tingles fly up her arms from the tender grip of Jerry's hands around her wrists. His eyes never leaving hers, he slowly brought them up over her head and held them against the wall. His face was only an inch from hers, and his eyes had lowered to her lips. After flicking his eyes back up to hers, he looked down at her lips again and leaned down slightly.

Jerry released his grasp around her wrists the moment he placed his lips on hers. Rika's eyes fluttered shut, her arms going around the back of his neck, bringing him closer, while Jerry's hands caressed her cheeks.

They didn't seem to care about all of the reasons against them being together. In that moment, the only thing Rika needed was to feel more of his skin. Her hands had dropped from around his neck and found their way to the hem of his shirt, not wasting any time to pull it up over his head. The second his shirt was gone, her fingertips grazed over his abs and Jerry found her lips again.

As he moved from her lips to across her jawline and then her neck, Rika slid her hands up his back and over his shoulder blades until she reached his neck. Jerry trembled slightly from the trail of goose bumps left behind from Rika's hands. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair before she placed them on his cheeks and slowly brought his face up. Her eyes met his, and she froze.

This couldn't have happened. This shouldn't have happened. Before his eyes had consumed her thoughts, she removed herself from between his body and the wall.

Rika faced away from him, but couldn't move. She couldn't get her feet to move any further. Tingles and warmth spread through her body again when she felt Jerry grab her hand. Her heart rate accelerated and her breathing deepened. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before letting her hand slip from his hold. Without looking back, she fled the room.

...

Rika made her way down the sidewalk, and her mind was spinning. What the hell was she thinking?

Oh, that's right. She wasn't...

She got lost in his eyes and had been consumed by her thoughts, and now, she couldn't stop thinking about him. Before she could scold herself anymore, she spotted Jack sitting on the sidewalk, facing the road. After debating on whether or not to join him, she decided that she owed it to him. By letting Kim go, he had protected her, and Rika would never be able to thank him enough.

A chilly breeze swept through the dark, empty streets as Rika tentatively walked up to him and sat beside him. Jack ignored her presence and kept his eyes out in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Rika knew that was a stupid question, but it would be weird to just not say anything.

Jack didn't respond. A minute had passed and he still hadn't spoken a word, so Rika decided to stay quiet. Then, Jack started to talk which kind of surprised her.

"I was standing here," Jack began. "On the sidewalk, holding her in a headlock." He paused for a moment. It was as though the memory was replaying itself in his mind. "And she was trembling and...she said, 'please don't' and I just," He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I loosened my hold on her for a moment and...the fact that she had so much control over me...like even though she didn't remember me...I almost couldn't do it. I almost couldn't do it because of a girl who doesn't even know who I am, a girl that I'm pathetically in love with." Jack shook his head. "I just...I snapped...and now Brody will never forgive me, and I'm just the same fuck up I'll always be. Like you said...I'm an _endless_..._downward_..._spiral_..."

Jack looked over at her for the first time since she arrived.

"So no, Rika. I'm not _okay_." The second the words left his mouth, he returned his eyes to the road.

Rika instantly regretted all that she said to him that morning because now that she knew the truth, she understood him. She couldn't shake the awful feeling that she had made him feel that much worse.

"Jack," Rika started, hesitant to go on. "I know that I will never understand how unbearable your life is right now, but...I just...I know letting her go was..." A tear fell from Jack's eye. "She doesn't have to die, Jack. As long as the other mystics and Ash of the Sacrificers don't know her location, she will be safe."

Jack remained silent.

"There's a meeting tomorrow for all mystics and I'm going to tell them the same things I always do: that Kim has fled the area and that she hasn't returned. And they believe me, Jack. Tomorrow, they will still believe me."

"You would betray your own people..."

"Jack, I'm not betraying them. We have the same goal. My people don't want Ash to get a hold of the power from Kim's sacrifice, and I just don't want Ash to sacrifice her. I'm not betraying my people; I just have a different perspective. And the way I see it, Kim doesn't have to die."

"You were right. You obviously don't understand what I'm going through right now." Jack muttered.

"Jack,"

"What the hell do you want from me, Rika!" Jack snapped, twisting his body to face her. "I already made my choice, and I chose to let her go. Do you have any idea what goes through my head when I see her?"

"Jack,"

"Do you? Do you have any fucking idea?"

Rika slowly shook her head.

"Then tell me something, Rika. How the fuck can I protect someone that I can't even look at without breaking?"

"You're doing it again..." Rika mumbled.

"Doing what again?"

"You're making me your enemy."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Jack, you do it to everyone - Brody, me..." Rika hesitated for a moment. "Kim."

"And how the hell is Kim my enemy? If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of in love with her."

"Jack," He looked up at her. "You," Her voice trailed off. "You almost killed her today."

Jack held her gaze.

"You're mad at her because she doesn't remember."

"No..." Jack shook his head, his eyes glassy. There was no way that could be true.

"You are, Jack. It doesn't matter that she can't help it. You are mad at her for not remembering you."

Jack's eyes widened. "What is wrong with me?" He nearly whispered as he ran his hands through his hair.

"You're hurt." Rika said softly.

"What is wrong with me?" Jack shook his head again, repeating his words.

...

Thanks for reading and please review! And like I said before, if you're confused, don't worry. You should be confused. This chapter is the first time you heard about the war between the mystics and the Sacrificers over Kim's sacrifice. In the next chapter, the story behind the sacrifice will be revealed! Also, I'm sure a lot of you were surprised to find out that Jack and Kim were in love before he compelled to her forget about him. So, please review. This chapter took a lot of thought and I would really appreciate to hear your thoughts!

theScribblerWP


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! I'm sorry for not updating in while, but my brain needed some time to let all of my ideas sink in, so I could make sense of them. Also, I lost my inspiration for a while, probably because my mind was so overwhelmed with this new story. Anyways, my inspiration is back, and I want to thank all of my reviewers!

KickForever99, XoThatCrazyChickoX:

Thank you so much! I'm happy that chapter 3 shocked and surprised you.

ELOVATE:

Haha, me too :)

my unknown guest reviewer:

I'm not going to give away too much, but let's just say that I'm planning on having a flashback to when they were together in a future chapter.

BearKick15, cloudrazor3, EVanvicky, my unknown guest reviewer that reviewed on February 12th:

Thanks!

Dreamcatcher19:

Thank you so much for reviewing on every chapter! Your reviews made me smile!

optimistic girl94:

EVERYONE PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND FOLLOW AND FAVORITE HER STORIES! SHE GAVE ME THE MOST AMAZING REVIEWS EVER!

...

Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It, the parts of the story that relate to the Vampire Diaries, or any other brand that shows up in my work. I only own the plot and my OCs Rika and Ash.

...

Chapter 4: Where it all Began

Kim slid a spatula under a golden brown pancake and flipped it, while her mind was at a loss for explanation. There had been too many instances lately where she just felt as though time went by in a blur, and to make things worse, that sickness she had yesterday was probably the worst experience of her life.

She sighed and placed her pancake on a plate. What she wouldn't give to know what the hell was going on.

Sloppy footsteps against the kitchen tiles brought her out of her thoughts. As she turned around, she spotted her brother stumbling his way to the counter, his hair a complete mess and sweatpants the only thing he was wearing.

"Morning, sunshine." Kim smiled.

"Morning." Jerry mumbled, running a hand through his disheveled hair and slumping down on a stool beside the counter.

"You look like hell." Kim grabbed another plate of pancakes and placed it in front of Jerry. "Is everything okay?"

Jerry nodded, tore off a piece of one of his pancakes, and lazily stuffed it into his mouth.

"Are you sure? I didn't hear you come back last night."

"Kim, I'm fine."

Kim studied his face. "No, you're not. What's up?"

Jerry shrugged. "Nothing's up." He tried his best to smile.

Kim raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Jerry."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope."

Jerry rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat. "I have to get ready for work."

"Wait," Kim began, holding up his plate. "What about breakfast?"

"I'll just grab something on the way."

"Okay." Kim said slowly, her concern growing.

"Kim," Jerry started, sensing how worried his sister was. "I'm fine, okay?"

Kim nodded reluctantly.

"I'll see you tonight." Jerry said before heading back to his room for a shower.

Kim didn't believe that Jerry was okay for a second. She always knew when something was bothering him. Now, she just needed to know what was messing with his head.

Whatever the problem was, she was going to figure it out.

...

Rika stood among all of the other mystics in a secluded section of the dense forest know as the 'hideout.' Every month, they met there to share any new information on Kim Crawford's location and discuss their plan of action.

Rika hated lying to her people, but she didn't have a choice. Convincing them to let Kim live was out of the question.

And it wasn't like Rika didn't understand why they were so adamant about killing Kim. The story behind Kim's crucial sacrifice began three thousand years ago on the day of Rika's birth.

The first ancestor on Kim's mother's side, Olivia Holt, was born from a volcano. The release of energy during her birth had caused the formation of three other volcanoes around the original. From each newly formed volcano, came the birth of the three supernatural beings: vampires, werewolves, and mystics. Rika was the first mystic.

Ash, the husband of Olivia Holt, was a werewolf who had betrayed her. Him and all of the other werewolves believed in a ritual. The ritual was a sacrifice in which Olivia was thrown into the volcano she had been born from along with a mystic, vampire and werewolf thrown into their respective volcanoes. As a result of the four-being sacrifice, it was believed that a massive amount of energy would be released. Ash and the werewolves, known as the sacrificers, hoped to harness this energy.

Because the mystics were the earth's protectors, they strived to kill Olivia before the sacrificers could throw her into the volcano. However, Rika was the only mystic who did not believe in the necessity to kill her.

So, in order to keep the other mystics from turning against Rika, she went behind their backs and helped Olivia to escape from both the werewolves and the mystics. The vampires, who agreed to stay neutral in the werewolf-mystic feud, had offered to take Olivia somewhere safe.

Rika hoped that the mystics and the werewolves would let the sacrifice go once Olivia was gone. Unfortunately, they didn't.

Over the years, the deep hatred between the two groups only worsened. The mystics managed to kill all Holt-blooded mortals, including Kim's mother, but except for Kim.

Rika hated that she couldn't do anything to stop the death of Kim's mother, however, Kim was her friend, so her focus was on keeping her safe.

Once the plan to kill Kim's mother had been successfully carried out, Rika informed the mystics that Kim had fled. That way, the mystics would look anywhere but Seaford, and the werewolves would follow.

Some of the mystics worried that Kim would return, so Rika offered to be on the look out for her. And because the mystics trusted her, they never visited or looked around Seaford. Like Rika planned, they searched anywhere but where Kim actually was.

Her plan was perfect; nothing had gone wrong since a year earlier when the mystics brutally murdered Kim's mother, and Kim's father went missing.

If only she could convince Jack that he didn't need to let Kim go.

If only she hadn't completely ruined everything with Jerry.

Rika shook her head and smiled sarcastically to herself. She had no idea what she was going to do.

...

"Brody, what I did was wrong, okay? I understand that, and I'm sorry."

Brody smiled, not believing his brother for a second. His sarcastic smile faded before he spoke. "What you did was unforgivable, Jack, but I don't see why that matters to you at all. You don't feel bad about hurting me. You never have."

Jack struggled to find something to say to that. He hated hurting his brother. It wasn't like Brody would believe that though, not now after everything Jack had done.

"I don't think you understand what you did to me, Jack."

Jack averted his eyes away.

"You ruined me. Using my speed, my hearing, my mind control, it brought it all back. It brought everything back."

"Brody-"

"No, you don't get to talk." Brody snapped. "You wanted your brother back, and well, here he is. I'm back to being everything I hated about myself. I can't stop feeling the need for the adrenaline rush of my speed. I can't escape from this damn pounding in my ears. I can't stop thinking about ripping someone's head off." Brody's voice broke and it came out shaky. "I _can't_ stop."

Jack struggled to lift his head from the floor and look at his brother. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Brody was livid.

"This is what you wanted, Jack, so don't you fucking dare tell me that you're sorry."

Before the tension inside the house grew any more, the door flung open and in came Rika.

"Brody..." Rika was breathing heavily and her eyes were wide. "Ash is back."

Jack and Brody stared at her, their argument long forgotten. The news was like a crushing weight collapsing against Jack's chest. He felt as though he couldn't breath. Having to let Kim go was heart-wrenching enough, and now, the mere possibility of Ash actually finding her was too much.

"What can I do?" Brody spoke up.

"I know it may be hard for you, but could you become Kim's friend today at school? I'd protect her, but she thinks I go to Cyber School, so I can't just show up at Seaford High."

"Of course." Brody replied. "I just need some of your blood substitute since, well you know, so I can actually control myself." Brody turned to face his brother. "Is that okay with you, Jack, or would you rather enjoy the old me?"

Jack didn't respond. He barely heard anything that Brody said. Everything was too overwhelming, and he felt as though he could hear Kim's cries.

"Brody," Rika began. "Leave him alone, okay? There are some things that you don't know."

Brody raised an eyebrow with an almost amused expression on his face. "Leave him alone? After everything he has done, you are defending him? And what exactly is it that I don't know?"

Rika sighed and looked at Jack. "That's not important. Here's the blood sub," She tossed a bag to Brody. "Now, get to school. Kim can't be left alone any longer than she already has."

Brody nodded and left the house. He knew that his main concern was Kim, but the things that he didn't know about according to Rika lingered in his mind. What were they hiding from him?

He pushed the thoughts away and began a brisk jog to Seaford High. If anything happened to Kim, Rika would never forgive him.

...

Back inside the house, Rika's eyes never left Jack. He wouldn't look at her, and he wouldn't say a word.

"Nothing is going to happen to her, Jack."

Jack remained silent.

"I promise."

Jack finally looked up at her. "You can't promise that."

"Well, I am."

...

Kim sat behind a desk in her first period class. The teacher had yet to arrive. The rest of the kids talked and laughed, while Kim just sat there. She couldn't escape from the feeling that something was off.

A boy slipped into the chair of the desk beside her. Kim didn't look at him, but noticed out of the corner of her eye that his gaze was on her. She tried to suppress the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

With her eyes in front of her, she couldn't see his face very well, yet she knew that she hadn't seen him before. She came to the conclusion that he must be a new kid, and from the little she could make out of his appearance, he was attractive.

So, the attractive, new kid wouldn't stop staring at her. That was something she could get used to.

"Hey," The boy finally said.

Kim hid her smile and turned in her seat to face him. Her eyes instantly fell into his. "Hey." She replied shyly.

"I'm Brody." He smiled.

"Kim. I uh, I'm guessing you're new. I haven't seen you before."

"I'm new to this class, but I've been here all year."

"Oh, why did you switch classes?"

Brody leaned back in his seat. "I don't know. Guess I was just looking for something new." A smile made its way onto his face. "And I think I did."

Kim smiled and was a loss for words. Luckily, the teacher walked in and saved her from making a fool of herself - something she seemed to do a lot around attractive guys.

"Okay, class. Today we are going to..."

...

With Brody gone, Rika decided to stay with Jack for the day. She desperately needed to find a way to mention Kim without hurting him even more.

Every time she opened her mouth to say something, she closed it and reconsidered saying anything at all. For hours they sat in silence.

When Rika finally found the courage to speak up, it was nearly three o'clock.

"She would be safer if she knew, Jack." Rika nearly whispered.

Jack kept his eyes out in front of him and thought about what she said for a moment. After closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath, he responded. "Can we not do this right now?"

"Do what?"

"Talk."

"Jack, I just..." Rika sighed and rubbed her temples. "I understand it, but then again, I don't."

"Rika-"

"I know you don't want to talk about it, Jack, but just listen, okay?"

Still without looking her way, Jack reluctantly agreed by leaning back in his seat.

Rika gathered all of her thoughts and searched for the right words. "I know that you have your reasons, and I understand them. I just don't get how..." Her voice faded and lowered. "How, Jack?"

Jack didn't respond. He didn't want to answer Rika's questions. He didn't want to think about how he was able to let _her_ go. He just wanted to escape from the never-ending ache, the unforgiving pain and regret that seemed to be slowly deteriorating him.

"She would be safer if she remembered, Jack. She would be safer if you were by her side."

"Stop..." Jack finally turned his head to face Rika, his eyes now red and watery. He averted his eyes away before continuing. "It wasn't like I just woke up one day, Rika, and decided to...to make her forget. The more I thought about it, the more it killed me, but I had to. I had to, okay? So, to answer your question, I did what I had to. That's how. There's no other way to explain it."

Riley stayed silent. In the back of her mind, she knew that bringing Kim up was a mistake. It was too late now though.

"She wouldn't be safer with me, Rika. I'd just end up doing something stupid to protect her, and end up hurting her. It's what I do. I fuck everything up, and I drag everyone down with me."

Rika shook her head. "Not when you're with her." Rika argued. "Jack, Kim was good for you, and you were good for her."

"You think I don't know that?" Jack sat up in his seat and turned to face her.

"Jack-"

"What are you trying to do right now? Do you think you can just remind me of when things when were good, and think that I'll just give her back the memory of us! You still don't get it, Rika! I fucking let her go. It was the worst thing I ever had to do, but I did it. I did it for her. So stop questioning what I did for the girl I love, and get the fuck out of my house!"

Rika shot up out of her seat, all of her regard for his feelings gone.

"You act like she's all yours, Jack! And I'm done trying to understand all of this fucking shit!"

Rika paused for a moment, letting her anger diffuse. Jack stood there, a little surprised from Rika's sudden outburst.

"I just want her to be happy, Jack, and when she was with you, she never stopped smiling."

Jack looked away as his eyes watered again.

"She may not remember, Jack, but that girl loves you so damn much." A tear fell down Rika's cheek. "And if she had the choice, I know that she would put up with the fear of being killed to be with you."

Jack reluctantly looked up at her, his eyes glassy.

"Don't take away her right to choose what she wants."

A few seconds after the words left her mouth, Rika's phone buzzed in her pocket. She tore her gaze away from Jack and picked up her phone as Jack rubbed his eyes with shaky hands.

"Hello?" Rika tried her best to steady her heartbeat and bring her voice down to a normal level.

"Hey, Riks." Brody greeted cheerily on the other end of the line, chuckling a little.

Rika almost smiled. Brody was struggling with controlling his powers, so it was relieving to know that he was doing better. "Hey, did you introduce yourself to Kim?"

Brody laughed again before replying, "You could say that."

"Why are you laughing?"

"School just ended, and I'm walking Kim to her house. She cracks me up."

A smile finally made its way onto Rika's face. "I'm glad you're getting along with her, but remember to be on the look out for Ash. He could be anywhere."

"I know, Rika. Don't worry."

"I trust you, but I don't think I'll ever stop worrying."

Brody chuckled.

"Hey, did you tell her that you're a friend of mine?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Tell her that I want to sleepover at her house tonight."

"Rika, she doesn't need to be watched every second. I don't think Ash is even in Seaford. Besides, I was thinking of asking her out."

Rika's eyes widened. "What?"

"She's cute and I think she likes me, so why not?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. You're supposed to protect her not..." Rika lowered her voice. "Date her."

Brody rolled his eyes even though Rika couldn't see him. "Fine. Look, I have to go. I'll let Kim know you want to stay over."

"Okay, see you later."

"See you."

Rika hung up the phone and slowly stuffed her phone into her pocket. She hesitantly looked over at Jack, instantly noticing that he heard every word of the conversation.

"I'm uh, I'm gonna head over to Kim's."

Jack glanced at her for a second, but didn't respond. Rika pursed her lips and left the house.

As she made her way down the street, her mind was too preoccupied for her to notice an attractive yet menacing werewolf walking towards her.

"Rikania Blake?"

Rika froze. That voice, she knew it so well. Her eyes met his and she muttered. "Ashton Orkala."

...

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